


Even The Healthiest Get Sick Too

by yerwhumpwriter



Series: Haikyuu Hospital(ized) Fics [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, But it all works out well in the end, Eventual Happy Ending, Haikyuu Angst Week 2020, Haikyuu Whumptober, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Illnesses, It's Always Atsumu Who Suffers Emotionally, Let's Make Osamu Suffer, M/M, No beta we die like Hinata should have when he bumped with Asahi in Season 1, Osamu Good Bro, Protect Atsumu, There's Too Much Medical Things Here, i'm frustrated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:46:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27414466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yerwhumpwriter/pseuds/yerwhumpwriter
Summary: Apparently, being Monozygotic twins has its own disadvantages too.[Miya Twins has an undiagnosed heart disease and Atsumu gets the short end of the stick]
Relationships: Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Osamu/Suna Rintarou
Series: Haikyuu Hospital(ized) Fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2018653
Comments: 29
Kudos: 495





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This may sound weird but, YouTube recommended me a video of a girl fainting while playing volleyball. Since then I can't stop thinking about it and this fic is the fruit of that thinking. LOL
> 
> God I have so many backlogs at work but I had to let this out so I can actually work. Haha!
> 
> Anyways, this was not a planned entry for the HQ angst week but I saw the prompts for days 3-4 and thought this is kinda fitting. 
> 
> Lastly, please don't come @ me if there are medical inaccuracies :(
> 
> Enjoy!

They have been staying in the ICU and living in the hospital for 3 days now. 

The Miya family has no choice but to wait until the doctors decide to wake their eldest son up. They have to put him in a medically induced coma so they could avoid brain injury. 

Afterall, Miya Atsumu's heart stopped for almost 10 minutes. 

Miya Osamu sits beside his brother's bed, eyes glued at his phone. He is exchanging messages with his assistant managers so he could assist them despite his absence.

For the past 3 days, he has never left his brother's side. 

He was the one who witnessed it happening first anyway. 

**3 days earlier...**

The Adlers VS Black Jackals game just ended. Both teams' players were either interviewed, asked for autographs, or were asked to take pictures with their fans. Miya Osamu, as well as the other vendors on the stands, braced themselves for the surge of customers they will be having- now that the game is over, the customers are no longer preoccupied and were probably hungry from watching such an intense game. 

That, and also since his brother, Miya Atsumu, decided to go over his stall. 

" 'Tsumu, don' go makin' my stall yer fansign event!" Osamu complained. 

"Why, ya don' like me bringin' ya customers?" Atsumu replied smugly.

Osamu just snarled at his brother and went back to entertaining the customers. There was a good 20 customers- all of which were Atsumu's fans. Atsumu was kind (ostentatious) enough to give them a chance for a selfie with him and Osamu. Osamu, however, didn't enjoy it. 

After that unintentional fan service, Atsumu sat on a monoblock inside the stall, looking as if he'd lost 20 years of his life span. Osamu would be lying if he said he wasn't worried. Not that he'd say that out loud, though.

"Congrats for pullin’ it off" Osamu said, trying to liven his twin's mood. "That serve ya been trainin' fer!" He handed the order of the last customer, who thanked him with a bow. He smiled at her and he was sure he caught the girl blush. He looked at his twin, held his hand to a fist, waiting for a fist bump.

"Yeah..." Atsumu simply replied without looking up. He was sitting with his head hanging low, his arms placed on top of his thighs. Osamu could also hear him pant, which made him ask to himself, _Still?_. Although Osamu felt disheartened and annoyed when his brother did not return the fist bump, he couldn't get mad at his brother. Atsumu looked so tired that Osamu thought he didn't even hear what the younger twin just said. 

“Yer adrenaline finally comin’ off?” Osamu asked with a smirk, masking the worry he's feeling. Atsumu just snorted in reply, still not moving from his position. 

It really didn't sit right with Osamu. 

"Hey, ya sure yer okay?" Osamu gave up masking his worry. He held Atsumu's shoulder to catch his attention.

Atsumu shook his head; not for saying 'no'. It looked like he was trying to wake himself up. He stood up and walked towards the exit of the stall.

"Hey," Osamu called angrily, offended. "I'm still talkin' to ya, y'know!"

"I'll just go to the-"

_And then he fell._

Atsumu fell right in front of the Onigiri Miya stall. 

The first 3 seconds was a blur of shock, disbelief, and confusion. Then, it registered to Osamu. The first emotion he felt was annoyance.

“Hey ‘Tsumu! What the heck are ya trynna pull off?!” Osamu asked angrily when he went out of his stall. He softly kicked his brother on his bicep. He knew that his brother could be dramatic, so he knew this is just another prank pulled by his brother on him. It had to be.

But when Atsumu didn’t budge, he began to feel panic. He knelt down beside his brother and shook Atsumu.

“Oi, this isn’t funny, y’know. This is embarrassing!” he whispered loudly. But Atsumu remained unconscious. Just still. 

He started to panic. " 'Tsumu?" he shook his brother again. Atsumu still didn't wake up. He gulped. _What the fuck is going on?!_ He looked around his surroundings, too confused to speak and ask for help. But when his eyes met with his assistant, they communicated wordlessly.

Natsume, his assistant, immediately fetched his phone and called for an ambulance.

Osamu has no training for dealing with sudden unconsciousness, but when it happened to his twin, it seemed like his body was in autopilot, suddenly knowing what to do. 

He checked for breathing first, placing his fore and middle finger under his brother's nose to feel for air. 

He didn't feel anything. Nothing came out. 

Then he placed his ear on the chest of his brother to listen for heartbeats. He heard nothing. He placed two fingers on his brother's neck and still felt nothing. He couldn't feel a pulse. 

He learned from basic biology that not having a pulse means not having a heartbeat. Not having a heartbeat means the heart stopped working. The heart stopping from working means death. 

It can't be that Atsumu's heart stopped working. It can't be that-- 

“No, no, no, no, no. GET HELP!” this time he was able to shout hysterically. There were gasps. There were sounds of commotion. Hushed voices. People who were already watching started to move, some took their phones out, some shouted asking where the medics would be, some went towards Osamu to know how they could help. 

Driven with panic, Osamu placed his palms- one palm on top of the other- on his brother’s chest and started CPR. Some bystanders gasped at the sight of the scene. However, some of the newcomers, like the assholes that they are, took their phones out to take a video of what was happening. 

Oh, what nice headlines that would be. It could, WOULD go viral for sure. 

But Osamu didn’t give a shit. All he wanted and needed to do was keep his brother alive. 

He absolutely refuse to believe that Atsumu is dead.

His health subjects in high school and university were now paying off. He learnt that in doing CPR, you must do 30 chest compressions and then 2 breaths. One thing he won't ever forget from their lessons is that CPR chest compressions could be timed with the tune of Bee Gees' "Staying Alive". He noted that, and started singing the song in his head, while counting the chest compressions out loud. 

When he reached 30, he tilted his brother's chin upwards, pinched his nose, and blew air through his brother's mouth. Normally, that would’ve been repulsing for the both of them. Never in a hundred years did they think that their lips would be joined together. 

Atsumu should be waking up just by that action if this was really a prank, which Osamu still wanted to believe. 

The doomed reality hit him when he tried to feel for his brother’s pulse again- and there was still nothing. He couldn’t help but let out a choked sob. 

“C’mon ‘Tsumu…” he said, trying to hold his tears back. He started CPR again. He was in panic, adrenaline leading him to do whatever's needed to be done in order to make his brother stay alive. To keep his heart beating and survive whatever fucked up situation this is. 

On his 20th chest compression, the EMTs that were on standby for earlier's game finally came, along with the other members of the Monster Generation. He didn't - _couldn't-_ stop the compressions despite the presence of the EMTs, afraid that his brother might die if he didn't complete one cycle. So, he still gave his brother 2 breaths before entrusting Atsumu to the EMT. 

Osamu felt someone pull him back. "Hey, hey, let them help Atsumu." the person told him calmly. When he let the EMTs do the CPR on his brother, he didn't want to let go of his brother. He latched onto him as if he was his life force. Someone had to pull him away so that the EMT could help Atsumu hassle free. 

"Osamu-san," another person kneeled in front of him. Nothing registered to Osamu. Not the sounds, not the people, not even the person in front of him. He was in a state of shock. His eyes were fixed on Atsumu, whose body limply laid on the floor as the EMTs pumped his chest manually. They started inserting a tube in his mouth. Osamu felt nauseous.

"Osamu-san," the person called to him again. It felt like the world had stopped when his brother collapsed, and now it's just starting to work again, but in slow motion.

Someone was tapping him on his cheek. 

"Osamu-san, we need you to calm down," He realized he was crying and trembling. When the world finally shifted to normal, he learned that it was Fukurodani's setter who was kneeling in front of him, and the one who pulled him back was Bokuto. 

He looked around his surroundings and saw that all the members of Black Jackals and Adlers were gathered around the stall. There were also some media reporters, but thankfully, the two teams' members were huddled purposefully around the scene so that the media won't be able to show what truly was happening. 

Then his eyes travelled back to his brother, the tube successfully put through his mouth, shirtless, and has two pads on both sides of his chest. The EMTs were still doing CPR. _That's for how long now?_

He attempted to crawl back to his brother but Bokuto was strong enough to stop him. "Osamu, no! Let them help him!" Bokuto said despite Osamu's protests. 

"I need to be there. He needs me! I'm his brother, for fuck's sake!" he protested, trying to wriggle himself free from Bokuto's grip. _Damn, he's strong!_ To him, what he was doing made sense. They have never been separated, and now more than ever is when he needs to be with his brother. He needs to make sure his brother will not be separated from him forever. He needs to make sure he survives.

"No, Osamu-san," Akaashi, Fukurodani's setter, said. "It's too dangerous for you and for Atsumu-san to be near him right now. It's best if we stay back while the EMTs help him." 

“How long has he been unconscious?” Osamu heard one of the EMTs asked. However, he couldn't answer. 

“Maybe 2 minutes. It was'nt too long before you guys came.” Natsume responded instead.

There was a sound, like a machine charging energy. Then there was an alarm, "Clear?" one of the EMTs asked. The one doing the CPR stopped and raised his hands, the one who was pumping air through the tube removed the ambubag and raised her hands too. The one who asked looked around to see if someone else was near or touching Atsumu. "Clear." all 3 of them responded. The nurse pressed somthing on the maching, then the alarm stopped and Atsumu's body jolted. 

There were visible and audible wincing from the people around. Osamu forgot what it's called but he recalls it helps with the CPR. But despite seeing it happen in movies and dramas, seeing it in real life was beyond terrifying, especially his twin brother was in the receiving end of it. The EMTs looked at the heart monitor and checked for a pulse. 

And they started CPR again. Which meant Atsumu’s heart hadn't started working yet. 

Osamu began to pray. He learnt from their captain in High School, Kita-san, that God is everywhere. So he clasped his hands together and prayed to all the gods to save his brother. He closed his eyes, no longer able watch the scene of his brother being revived. So he just bowed his head and continued praying silently, shutting everything else out. 

The sirens of the ambulance came nearer and nearer until it stopped. People who were standing by the entrance began to make way for the paramedics brought by the ambulance. They, too, helped in reviving Atsumu. 

He knew he should be optimistic; these people helping his brother’s heart to beat again, hand in hand. But he couldn't think positive. Just the thought that his brother's heart had stopped and needed to be restarted made him wish he was just having a nightmare. BECAUSE THIS ISN"T POSSIBLE. THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE! 

Bokuto, Akaashi, and Hinata sat next to Osamu now. Akaashi kept saying reassuring words to him, as well as Hinata. While Bokuto just kept on holding his shoulders, pinning him down and was softly rubbing his back as well. 

Osamu continued praying. His hand clasped so tightly together that his knuckles were visibly white, his head bowed down and eyes tightly shut. 

He doesn't know how long it took before heard a slow steady beeping sound. Bokuto and the others who were seated beside him let out a sigh of relief. That beep means Atsumu’s heartbeat, right?

He looked up too fast that it made him feel dizzy. 

When his gaze settled on his brother--who is now strapped to a device that seemed to have done the CPR automatically-- the EMTs and paramedics were preparing him to be rolled out of the gym to the ambulance. He stood up quickly, no longer restrained by Bokuto, and ran to his brother’s side. 

“ ‘Tsumu?!” he called to his brother, trying to see if getting his heartbeat back meant him waking up too. But Atsumu did not respond.

“Sir, we will need you to--” the paramedic who was reprimanding him was visibly shocked when he saw Osamu’s face. “Oh,” was all the man could mumble, realizing that he was Atsumu’s twin. 

“Is he okay?!” Osamu asked as he tried to catch up to the team dragging Atsumu further away from the gym. 

“His heartbeat is back but we cannot be sure.” the paramedic answered sympathetically. “We will need to know more about what happened.” 

When they reached the ambulance, Osamu asked to ride with them. The paramedics agreed. On the way to the hospital, he was asked by one of the paramedics different questions about the incident and what could've lead to it: Does Atsumu have a known heart condition? Has he been taking drugs? (to which Osamu was a little bit offended by) How long was he unconscious before he started CPR? 

He was in the middle of answering the questions when the AED alarmed again. The paramedics were fast to work on Atsumu again, and thanks to technology, Atsumu was strapped on a machine that does CPR automatically. 

This lasted for another 5 minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Doctor,” Osamu said after a moment, realization flooding him, “If it’s genetic, is it possible for me to have it too?”
> 
> His mom and dad looked at him, eyes wide open, realization hitting them as well. 
> 
> “It is very possible,” the doctor explained. “It’s very common for monozygotic or identical twins to inherit the same genetic disease."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical practitioner. All the information I put here were just based on research and information available in research journals from the internet.

When they arrived at the hospital, Atsumu was brought to the Emergency Room immediately. Osamu was advised to wait outside on the other hand. At that moment, he called his parents to inform them about what happened. His mom was hysterical over the phone. 

He sat at the waiting area, uneasily waiting for news about his brother. There are so many questions and thoughts in his mind that he could no longer make it coherent. But the lingering thought was: Atsumu HAS to survive. 

He has no idea as to what caused this incident to happen. And to think that his brother lost his heartbeat twice? It made his own heart break, and his mind to panic. What if he doesn’t survive? Will he still be able to breathe on his own? Or even wake up? What happens next? Will there be “next”? 

His train of thoughts was interrupted by the team bus of the Black Jackals. They came in faster than their parents, since they are coming from Hyogo, they would have to travel all the way to Miyagi, which will take half a day. 

The first one to spot him was Hinata. “Osamu-san!”

“How’s Mi-- Atsumu?” It was Sakusa who asked. He was surprisingly and uncharacteristically worried, which made sense since it wasn’t too long ago since Atsumu told him about their “relationship”.

“He’s in the ER now.” Osamu replied. “They say he had a cardiac arrest, that’s why his heart stopped beating.” his voice breaks as he says it. “It stopped twice!” he cried.

“What? But he was resuscitated in the gym right?” Bokuto asked. 

“His heart stopped again in the ambulance.” Osamu said weakly. This earned a gasp from Bokuto and Hinata. Osamu rubbed his face with his hand frustratingly. “I mean, Atsumu’s healthy! He doesn’t have a heart disease,” he said, unable to stop himself from crying. “So I don’t understand! How can he have a cardiac arrest?!” No one dared to say a word. What Osamu said was true. The team knows how Atsumu took care of his body, being an athlete and all. He also makes sure he eats the diet assigned to him by his doctor. The team gets a regular general check up. 

So they do not know why, how, this situation came to be. 

Bokuto, being the most expressive of the lot, was the only one who had the courage to touch and give Osamu a comforting half hug. 

The team stayed in the waiting room, silently waiting for news from the doctors about Atsumu. They were uncharacteristically silent. Hinata, who is a walking ray of sunlight, was leaning his torso on his thigh, supported by his arms. It almost looked like he was meditating. Bokuto, who’s normally talkative, haven’t spoken for a long time now. 

Sakusa was visibly anxious, and probably because of two things: Atsumu, and the hospital. He was trying his best not to let any part of his body touch any part of the hospital. Inunaki and Meian were conversing in whispers. Thomas was the only one not around, having to go back to Tokyo for family matters. 

When the doctor finally came out to speak with a relative, Hinata and Bokuto already fell asleep, while Meian and Inunaki held their 2nd cup of coffee. 

“I believe you are the brother of Miya Atsumu?” the doctor asked as he approached Osamu. He and Sakusa quickly stood up from their seats, waking Bokuto and Hinata-- who were seated beside him. 

“How is he?” Osamu said, voice a bit hoarse from not speaking for hours. 

“He’s stable now.” the doctor said, making the Osamu and the team sigh in relief. “There are a lot more I’d like to say about his condition, but I see that your parents are not yet around…” the doctor stated. 

“It’s okay. I can just explain it to them instead.” Osamu said. “When can we see ‘Tsumu?” 

“He’s currently in the ICU. Atsumu-san suffered a prolonged cardiac arrest, meaning his heart stopped for too long than ideal.” the doctor said. 

“This takes a toll on his brain, with the risk of lack of oxygen and blood in the brain. To prevent further brain damage, we placed him in an induced hypothermia and sedation” the doctor continued. “This means we lowered his body temperature to avoid brain injury. We will observe how he responds to the induced hypothermia within 48 hours.” the doctor explained. 

Osamu wanted to say something but couldn’t. There’s a lot going on in his mind that he could no longer comprehend what to say first.

“What happened to him?” Sakusa was the one who spoke this time. “Why did his heart stop?”

“We cannot give you anything final about that yet. We will continue checking on the patient and run tests to figure it out.” the doctor answered. “We will also need to talk to your parents for family history as well.” the doctor spoke directly to Osamu.

“Can we see him?” Hinata asked. 

“We can only allow two persons in the ICU at a time. For the patient’s safety.” the doctor said before excusing himself.

When the doctor was gone, the whole team breathed a sigh of relief audibly. Osamu excused himself again to call and talk to his parents. He updated them about what happened, and that Atsumu is safe, for now. 

The “for now” gives him the chills. As if he’s waiting for something else to happen.

After the call, he decided to visit his brother in the ICU. Sakusa tagged along. 

He mentally prepared himself upon entering the unit. He knows what he’ll see won’t be good. But when he finally did, it wasn’t just “not good”. It was terrifying. Scary. Horrible. All the negative adjectives in the world. 

There were nurses working on his brother. If he didn’t know better, he’d think they were experimenting on him. Apparently, when he asked one of the nurses what they were doing, there were a lot of things to do to make someone in a coma stay alive. Urinating must be done through tubes, so is feeding and hydrating.

48 hours. That’s two days. His brother will be in this state for two days. And they aren’t even sure about this yet. It could be longer. 

At 10 in the evening, his parents finally arrived in the hospital. By that time, the team has already gone home except for Hinata. He insisted to keep Osamu company since he lives in the same prefecture and could go home anytime. 

His mother was frantic. She was crying the moment she arrived in the hospital and was met by Osamu. His father had his arm wrapped around his mom, trying to remain calm. 

They all went directly to the ICU, asked the nurses if the three of them could come in. They let them know that they are family. The nurses let them. When his mom caught sight of her son, she cried so hard. It was as if she held herself back from crying on the way there, and when she was finally there, she let all her held back emotions out. When she calmed down, she dared to get nearer Atsumu. She held her son’s hand, then brushed his hair with another. 

“We’ll get through this, okay?” she whispered to Atsumu. She kissed him on the forehead. 

That was also the first time he saw his dad cry. 

The next day, the doctor called for the Miyas to his office to ask if they have a history of heart conditions. His mother said yes, but his father said no. 

“That’s very helpful.” the doctor stated. 

“Why?” his mother asked. “Does my son have a heart disease?”

“I’m afraid he has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.” It’s like the doctor dropped a bomb on them.

“It’s a heart condition that causes the heart walls to thicken, making it harder for the heart to pump. It’s commonly genetic.” His mother gasped in shock.

“Normally, it doesn’t present itself with severe symptoms, that’s why people with this condition leads a normal life. It’s not a rare condition afterall.” the doctor further explained.

“I think that is also the reason why Atsumu-san was still able to play volleyball for this long without alarming outcomes. However, the heart is a very complex organ. That’s why we call it a silent killer. Atsumu-san’s heart’s electrical activity was disrupted this time, which led to sudden cardiac arrest.”

This information was very heavy and too much to take in for the Miyas. 

“But how come we never knew about this?” his mother finally said. “Ever since ‘Tsumu and ‘Samu were kids, they had regular check up.”

“It’s easy to miss the symptoms, and without proper examinations, it’s easy to miss the diagnosis.” the doctor answered. 

“However, the recent ECG’s results showed that his condition has become more prominent than before.” the doctor continued. “It‘s very possible that HCM could have presented itself in his latest checkup,” his mother gasped. 

“And that he was advised not to do extreme training.” the doctor didn’t say anything for a moment. 

He didn’t have to.

Because they knew Atsumu already knew about this. And he didn’t fucking listen. 

Osamu thought about the last time Atsumu visited his restaurant. He mentioned about the serve he was practicing for. He knows his brother too well and he’s SURE that Atsumu overworked himself to master that serve. 

And that led him here. 

He also felt a bit betrayed. How could his brother hide this from him? They swore when they were children to never hide anything from each other. 

They were twins, right?

“Doctor,” Osamu said after a moment, realization flooding him, “If it’s genetic, is it possible for me to have it too?”

His mom and dad looked at him, eyes wide open, realization hitting them as well. 

“It is very possible,” the doctor explained. “It’s very common for monozygotic or identical twins to inherit the same genetic disease. But we cannot be sure unless we have Osamu-san checked.”

“If that is the case,” his mother started, “does that mean, that Osamu will have a cardiac arrest too?” his mom choked a sob.

“To be honest, like what I said earlier, the heart is a silent killer. I don’t want to give you false hope that if it turns out he has the same condition, Osamu-san WILL NOT have a cardiac arrest.” His mother turned to his father, who hugged her tight. “However, a person with HCM without severe symptoms can lead and live a long life. There are a lot of factors as to why Atsumu-san had a cardiac arrest. There’s the fact that he is an athlete, and that his condition was overlooked.”

“Extreme exercises can also contribute to the thickening of the heart wall.” the doctor explained. 

There was heavy silence. The doctor has already said they couldn’t have known, but the dawning reality that this had to happen for them to know is much heavier than the doctor’s consoling words. 

“When will he wake up?” his father finally asked. 

“Since Atsumu-san was unconscious even after resuscitation, we had put him in an induced hypothermia, to avoid brain injury. We will observe his brain activity and other neurological functions before we can decide to heat him up again.” the doctor answered. “It could take 48 hours or more.”

They talked a little bit more about Atsumu’s condition and the possibility of waking up. The doctor further explained that it all depends on how Atsumu responds. 

When they were leaving the office, they heard the doctor’s pager went off. The doctor quickly excused himself and rushed outside his office, taking a familiar route to the ICU. 

Osamu didn’t feel good about it. 

So he walked faster than his parents and followed the doctor. When he arrived at the ICU, he saw a few nurses flooding in a room.

The doctor entered that room as well.

Atsumu’s room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really said in the tags "It's always Atsumu who suffers emotionally" and made Atsumu suffer physically in the fic haha
> 
> But hear me out. I wrote this fic because of the scarcity of fics where Osamu realizes how much his brother actually meant to him. It was always Atsumu who had to realize it in the fics I read. Thus, this fic. lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Stop fightin’ for yer life,” he said in between sobs. “And start fightin' to take that title from me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMYGOD I CANNOT BELIEVE MY HEART COULD ACTUALLY TAKE THIS MUCH ANGST.

On the first day of Atsumu’s admission, he had a seizure. 

The doctor said it was normal for a cardiac arrest patient to have a seizure even when they put him in an induced hypothermia. He says it has something to do with the deoxygenated cells in the brain and all. 

He reassured them that his brother will be okay, though.

Because honestly, that’s all he wants to hear right now. Reassurance. 

But it’s always the doctor’s “however”s that get him. 

Like now.

“However, we will have to put him in the induced hypothermia longer. The longer his temperature is cooled down, the better it is for his brain and body to recuperate.” the doctor pointed out. 

Somehow, that made sense to Osamu. It’s like when you put any type of meat in the freezer: the longer it is there, the longer it will be preserved and not rot away.

Later that day, their father went to book a hotel in Sendai and travelled back to Hyogo to get some things. Now that they’re informed about the duration of Atsumu’s possible recovery process, it would take a lot of time and toll on their health to travel from Miyagi to Hyogo. 

Hinata offered their home to the Miyas when he visited earlier that day with Kageyama, but they respectfully turned it down, explaining that it would just be invading their privacy. Even though he insisted, Hinata soon gave up. 

The next one to visit was Sakusa. He was accompanied by Suna, since they both came from Tokyo. 

The moment he saw Suna approaching the ICU, Osamu felt his heart let go. All the emotions he’s been trying to hold back just exploded. He ran towards his partner and hugged him tightly and let his tears fall. 

Without Atsumu, Suna is his safe place. 

When he calmed down, he lead them to Atsumu’s room. His mother was arranging the fruit baskets that were sent by fans to the hospital. She decided to donate most of it to the hospital cafeteria since it’s way too many for them to consume and may just get rotten. 

Sakusa bowed to the woman, who gave him a warm smile. “Kiyoomi-kun, it’s nice to finally meet you.” the woman said. 

Osamu knew better, and he was sure that their mom was the first one to receive the news about Sakusa and Atsumu dating. 

She walked towards the spiker and gave him a hug, to which Sakusa visibly stiffened. He raised his hand awkwardly, unable to decide if he will hug her back or not. He ended up awkwardly patting the woman at the back. 

“Nice to meet you too, Miya-san.” Sakusa greeted back when they broke the hug. 

“Atsumu told me a lot about you.” the older woman said. “I wish to hear more about you...from him.” she glanced at his son who’s laying still on a hospital bed, a machine doing the very thing the brain never forgets, which is breathing. 

“Yeah,” Sakusa looked at his lover, seeing him in the same exact state as he did hours ago. “Me too.” Sakusa said, his voice laced with sadness.

Mrs. Miya picked up the baskets of fruit, the one he sorted out for the cafeteria, and excused herself to go to the cafeteria. Suna helped the woman, then looked at Osamu, non-verbally communicating he’ll be back. Osamu just nodded. 

Osamu and Sakusa were left in the room. 

Sakusa dragged the lone chair near the bedside table towards Atsumu’s bed. He sat silently, and took Atsumu’s hand with both hands, and just stared at Atsumu’s peaceful sleeping face.

They were silent for a moment, only the soft beeping of the EKG and the hum of the ventilator could be heard.

“The doctor said he has a heart condition,” Osamu blurted out, breaking the silence. “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.”

Upon hearing it, Sakusa felt weak. He leaned his head against the railing of Atsumu’s bed railing. 

“How?” Sakusa mustered. “How do we not know about this?”

“They said the symptoms were not detectable at first, that’s why he could still play volleyball without havin’ any trouble.” Osamu explained. “But the doctor pointed out that the recent check up may’ve shown that it’s developed into somethin’ worse,” Osamu paused. 

“And this scrub just decided to ignore his doctor’s advice.” Osamu said frustratingly.

Sakusa remained still. Then he raised his head and glared at Atsumu, “I swear, once you wake up,” he said, his voice was shaking, “I won’t let this slide. You’re never stepping on a gym ever again.” Osamu could almost hear him sniff.

Osamu somehow felt at ease, knowing that his brother has Sakusa now. When his peripheral vision caught Suna arriving, he left Sakusa with his brother and went outside to meet Suna. 

“Hey,” Suna said as he closed the door. They sat at the benches in the hallway. “Ya look like shit.” Suna pointed out. Osamu snorted. That’s just how his boyfriend is. Straightforward as ever. 

“Y’know, yer the first person to point tha’ out.” he said weakly. He leaned his head on Suna’s boyfriend, and Suna half-hugged him tightly. He could feel Suna kiss the top of his head. 

“Ya may look like shit but I still love ya.” his boyfriend said. He buried his face on Suna’s shoulder.

They stayed silent for what felt a long time, only the busy and beeping noise of the ICU could be heard.

“Rin,” Osamu broke the silence, “ ‘Tsumu’s got a genetic heart condition.” he said sadly, his eyes glued to the floor. “I,” he hesitated. 

“There’s a big possibility I may have it too.” he mumbled. He felt Suna tense up. 

“What?” Suna said, his tone alarmed. Osamu raised his head from Suna’s shoulder and faced his partner. He saw the shocked expression of his partner. “What do you mean? I kinda lost ya at “heart condition.”

“The reason ‘Tsumu’s here in the first place is because of a genetic heart condition that was undiagnosed.” Osamu explained. “Apparently, it wasn’t life threatenin’ ‘til now.”

“And it’s possible I have it too.” Osamu gulped, trying to push back the lump building up in his throat.

Suna was stunned for a moment. He didn’t say anything. 

“So you mean,” he finally mustered. “That you could end up like Atsumu?”

Osamu nodded slowly. “But we’re still not sure. I haven’t been checked. We’ll still see when the results come out.” he explained. “And the possibility of preventing cardiac arrest for me is higher since I don’t play volleyball anymore.” he pointed out, “and that we are able to detect it before it becomes worse. Prevention rather than cure.” 

This made Suna feel relieved somehow. He pulled Osamu to a half-hug. “Ya better get yerself checked, or else i’ll kick yer ass.” he said, then kissed the top of his forehead.

Osamu smiled at that. 

And true enough, he went for a cardiological and physical check-up in the afternoon of the same day. When the results came out, the doctor’s suspicions turned out to be right, even the part when he said that Osamu’s condition would be less severe. 

“This happens in most, if not all, cases. One of the twins will get the shorter end of the stick and the other is less to not affected by the disease at all.” the doctor said while explaining the results of his ECG and MRI. 

That’s just like saying that he’s better than Atsumu. He’s healthier. He’s more blessed. He was chosen by their biology to be the better twin. 

He and Atsumu spent their whole lives competing, trying to prove to everyone-- but most of all, to each other-- that they are the better twin. Even their old age is already a competition set on stone. 

In all aspects of their lives,they fought for the “more” and “-er’ affix to be added in any adjectives when they are described.

They always fought for the title of “The Better Miya”.

Osamu should be happy. This just seals the deal. He IS the better Miya. He should be going to Atsumu’s room now and brag about this very fact. 

But Osamu remained seated in front of the doctor’s table, his hands fisted as he try to remain calm and not cry in front of the doctor. He can’t cry. The doctor is basically delivering him a good news, why would he cry?

His mom stood by his side and held his shoulders. She smiled when she heard the news, relief flooding her. She looked at Osamu and rubbed his back. 

The check-up ended with interventions that they would be doing in order to not aggravate Osamu’s condition. He missed most of it since he stopped listening after learning his result. 

When they stepped out of the doctor’s office, Osamu turned to his mother. 

“Ma,” he said, his head low, eyes glued to the floor. “Can I have a tonight with Atsumu, jus’ me and him?” he asked. 

His mom was confused at first, but then she smiled warmly and said, “Okay, I’ll tell your dad I’ll be waitin’ in the hotel.” She hugged her younger son. “Take care of ‘Tsumu for me, ‘kay?” then she kissed him on the cheek.

They both went to Atsumu’s room, who’s still the same as they left him. Their mother collected the things she would be taking to the hotel. She bid Osamu goodbye.

When it was just him and Atsumu finally, he pulled the chair that was occupied by Sakusa earlier, who decided to book a hotel room as well, and sat beside Atsumu. He'd prefer to have Suna there with him too, but he went with Sakusa to the hotel.

“Guess what, brother?” he started. He studied Atsumu’s face, and thought, _so this is what I look like when I’m sleeping?_

He sobbed. “I’m the better Miya,” he said letting the tears fall. “Take that!” 

He continued to cry. He has never cried this hard since their last day in the Inarizaki High School Volleyball Club. 

Memories of their childhood suddenly flash back to him. The days when Atsumu would easily get a cold when exposed in snow for more than an hour. Days when they would count the times they got sick that year, and resulting to Atsumu having more fevers than him. Days when fatigue would get in the way of Atsumu’s volleyball plays, so he had to work harder than Osamu. Days when Atsumu decided he needed to be better and stronger so he would eat more and exercise more. 

Days when he did things effortlessly, and his brother had to do twice the work just to catch up to him. 

The days when Atsumu thought he’s finally caught up, but resulted to this. 

To his brother fighting for his dear life.

Osamu let himself cry, as held his brother’s hand. 

“Stop fightin’ for yer life,” he said in between sobs. “And start fightin' to take that title from me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this has a happy ending. And I'm trying my best to either finish this within today because if I stop, it might take me another month for an update. :'(
> 
> Also, I kinda feel bad for doing this to Osamu now. :'(


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’d like to reiterate that heating up doesn’t mean waking up,” the doctor said calmly, almost consoling. 
> 
> But the Miyas just focused on the word “optimistic”. 
> 
> "Welcome back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm, okay. I fell asleep. LOL but I managed to give you another chapter so yey for me!

The next day, Sakusa came to the hospital early in the morning. 

He found Osamu sleeping next to Atsumu, his head bowed down on Atsumu’s bed. That must be a very painful position, he thought. 

He tapped Osamu on the shoulder, which successfully woke the man up. 

“I brought breakfast,” Sakusa said. “Are you alone?” he asked as he put down the food and coffee he brought. 

Osamu was busy popping his bones to relieve their stiffness, before he answered with a yes.

Sakusa noticed the puffy eyes of the younger twin, but did not bother asking. 

One nurse went in the room to check on Atsumu. Osamu stepped away. The nurse might’ve noticed the food Sakusa brought, so she told them that they may leave for while since she will be administering medicines too, so she won’t be leaving anytime soon. 

“You may eat breakfast first, don’t worry, we’ll watch over him.” she smiled. 

Osamu looked at his brother for a moment, afraid that if he loses sight of him, he will disappear. 

But Sakusa patted him on the shoulder, holding the bag of food he bought and gestured him to come with him outside. He just nodded and followed the younger man towards the hospital cafeteria.

“I don’t really like the idea of eating in a hospital cafeteria,” Sakusa said as they sat on one of the tables. “But I guess we have no choice.”

Osamu snorted at the germaphobe. He was handed a sandwich and cup of coffee. “Thanks.” he said. 

Sakusa just hummed in response.

The breakfast was mostly occupied by the hospital cafeteria buzz. 

Osamu and Sakusa do not know each other that well yet. To be fair, Osamu never took interest in him and he is sure the spiker did the same, and it was just a few weeks ago when he learnt about the relationship between Atsumu and Sakusa. 

So eating breakfast together is an awkward situation, yet a rapid development in their “relationship”.

“I heard from Suna that you got a check up last night,” Sakusa said as he sipped on his coffee. Osamu suddenly stopped chewing the sandwich. He just nodded. 

“Turns out I got it too.” Osamu said. “Only milder.” 

“Heh,” Sakusa snorted. “Even in illness, he’s proving he’s better than you.”

And suddenly, Osamu realized why his brother fell in love with this man. He felt his chest soften from all the tension he brought to himself upon receiving the news last night. Suddenly, he felt like crying again. Of relief. 

Sakusa may have noticed his reaction because he asked, “Are you okay?”

Osamu blinked, then wiped the tears that were threatening to fall. “Yes,” he said as he composes himself again, “Yes, I’m okay.”

They continued to eat in silence, but before Osamu misses his chance, he says, “Thank you, Sakusa-san. I needed that.”

When they got back to the ICU, Mr. and Mrs. Miya were already in Atsumu’s room. Mr. Miya told Osamu he could go to the hotel to take a bath and change. Osamu refused and straightforwardly said:

“I’m not leavin’ ‘Tsumu.”

Luckily, his father was prepared for that reply, so he brought a set of clothes for Osamu to change in. 

Suna came to the hospital later that morning. He brought food for the family too, just like what Sakusa did. Suna stayed and conversed with the Miya parents. Unlike Sakusa’s and Atsumu’s, Osamu and Rin’s relationship is nothing new to the family. They’ve been together for quite a long time anyway, so it wasn’t very surprising. 

When Sakusa entered the room, Rin and Osamu excused themselves, giving the parents to have a chance to talk with him.

They sat at the same spot they did last night. 

“How was your check up?” Suna asked. 

“Just as we thought,” Osamu answered, “I do have it.” A few reactions flashed in Suna’s face: shock, defeat, and sadness. He was hoping for a different answer afterall. 

“I’m sorry to hear tha’,” Suna said. Osamu understands his partner’s reaction to the news. The anxiety of knowing that someone close to you may be betrayed by their heart anytime. He knows it too well now.

“The good news is, it’s exactly what I told ya last night,” Osamu said, trying to cheer his boyfriend up. “Cardiac arrest can be prevented since my case is milder and was diagnosed before symptoms even showed up.” he said, way too cheerily than he’d like. 

Because how can he celebrate his health when his brother’s breath is breathed by a machine right now? 

His face fell and his tears just started to well up. “What am I even sayin’?” he said shakily. “I’m so selfish.” he let himself sob. 

Suna pulled him into a hug, while hushing. He continued to cry on his boyfriend’s shoulder. 

“What if Atsumu’s case was detected earlier?” he said shakily. “Could we have prevented this situation?”

“ ‘Samu,” Suna started, “this isn’t somethin’ within your control.” he said calmly. “Ya can’t blame yerself for having a healthier body.”

Osamu understands that. But it’s just hard to brush it off. His brother isn’t even dead yet, but he's already having survivor’s guilt.

He didn’t say anything. He just cried on his lover’s shoulder until he couldn’t.

Hinata and Kageyama visited later that day. as well as other former Karasuno players they’re acquainted with. They did not insist to see Atsumu, but just offered support and prayers for their former opponent. 

The media did feast on Atsumu’s current condition. Just as Osamu thought, there were videos from the day Atsumu collapsed that now circulates in social media. The news also reports about it. That’s why it wasn’t surprising that more gifts and flowers came to the hospital. Atsumu’s fanbase even started a hashtag #GetWellSoonAtsumu and made it trending in a well known social media site.

Despite how vain his brother was, none of those efforts woke Atsumu up.

\------

Today was the third day of Atsumu’s admission, and the doctors and nurses were often inside Atsumu’s room to run tests. 

His 48 hours is almost up anyways. They are checking if Atsumu could be cooled down already. 

When the doctors finally spoke with them about the decision, he said that Atsumu’s neurological assessment results are very optimistic, and that they will start the heating process that night. 

“I’d like to reiterate that heating up doesn’t mean waking up,” the doctor said calmly, almost consoling. 

But the Miyas just focused on the word “optimistic”. 

The nurses came in Atsumu’s room that night with a heat blanket. They draped it over Atsumu to heat his cold body up. The goal is to bring his temperature back to normal. The nurses also set their expectations that that night may be rough since they will need to regularly sedate and monitor Atsumu’s temperature. 

Mrs. Miya went to Atsumu’s side and whispered, “Hang in there, sweetie.”

\-------------------

_ He doesn’t know why his body felt so fucking heavy. _

_ Like he was hit by a truck, only the truck is on top of him. _

_ And the truck removed all his abilities. _

_ Because when he tried to open his eyes, he eyes just won’t budge.  _

“Atsumu-san, can you hear me?”

_ He tried again. Who was that who just spoke? _

“Can you try to lift your finger?”

_ And so he did. He tried to lift one of his fingers but it only made a very slight movement. Very far from lifting it up.  _

_ What the hell is going on? _

“Thank you for fightin’.”

_ Somebody whispered. Was it Ma? What does she mean fighting?  _

_ He was so confused, but most of all, he was exhausted. _

_ So he let exhaustion devour him to the deep blackness of sleep.  _

_ \------------------- _

“We can start the process of taking the sedatives off.” the doctor informed them the next morning. “Once he’s off of the sedatives, we can expect him to wake up on his own.”

Atsumu’s responses to their commands was the most crucial part of the decision to get him off of the induced coma. 

“It may take several hours for him to be completely unreliant to the sedatives, so we can’t really expect him to wake up very soon.” the doctor pointed out. 

They thanked him. Because at the end of the day, the bigger possibility is Atsumu waking up than him becoming a vegetable. 

The Miya family, Sakusa, and Suna stayed in the hospital that day, patiently waiting for Atsumu to wake up. 

The nurses kept on coming back and forth Atsumu’s room. They were monitoring his vitals as they lower the dosage of the sedatives they gave him. His temperature was back to normal now.

Hinata went to the hospital that day too. 

“Wow! That’s great news!” he exclaimed when he heard about the news of waking Atsumu up.

“I was starting to miss his voice,” he said, “ who knew I’d hear it again so soon?” he seemed very excited about this. 

Osamu and Suna just smiled at the younger player. He never really changed, despite being separated from his close family and friends for two years, he never lost his ray of sunlight. 

“We should tell the team!” Hinata suggested. “What do you think Sakusa-san?” 

“I don’t really ca--” Sakusa answered with a bored and monotone voice, “I don’t really mind.”

“Okay!” Hinata said, “I’ll call Bokuto-san!” He excused himself as he pulled out his phone and called Bokuto.

“God, he’s loud,” Sakusa complained. 

_______________

_ His senses came back to him one by one.  _

_ It was his hearing first. He heard a slow steady beeping somewhere near. There was also a low humming sound. _

_ Then, the sound of rustling plastic. People talking. _

_ Then next, he tried to open his eyes. It was a bit easier than the last. _

_ He was able to open it halfway, but when the light entered his field of vision, he was blinded, so he shut them again.  _

_ He tries a second time, this time he was able to open them fully. He was met by the sight of a ceiling.  _

_ It wasn’t his ceiling for sure. _

_ His gaze travelled to wherever it could reach. He saw three people doing something at his left, and a wall at his right.  _

_ Then, he tried to speak.  _

_ Only then did he realize, there was a tube down his throat. What?? Why?? _

_ He got terrified of it, so he tried his best to make a sound instead. All he could do was grunt.  _

_ The first time he grunted, the 3 people on his left didn’t even budge. On the second grunt, he heard them stop moving. He tried grunting louder. _

_ This time, he heard shuffling. _

_ Then, his vision filled with a beautiful face. _

“Atsumu? Can you hear me?”  _ The man asked. He tried his best to nod. _

_ Ah, why does it feel like he haven’t touched the man in so long.  _

_ His face was uncharacteristically showing emotions. _

“Welcome back,”  _ the man smiled weakly at him. Is he crying? _

__________________________

Osamu, Sakusa, and Suna was helping Mrs. Miya in organizing the gifts that were sent to Atsumu that day, when it happened. 

It was Sakusa who heard a low grunt through all the noise. 

“Did you hear that?” Sakusa asked out of the blue, stopping from moving. The other two followed his action. 

There it was again. 

They all looked at Atsumu, whose eyes are…open.

All three of them stood in shock for a second. Then, Mrs. Miya went out to the door to call a doctor or a nurse, while Sakusa just ran straight to his lover’s bed. 

“Atsumu?” he asked, trying to keep his voice leveled. “Can you hear me?”

Atsumu nodded with the slightest movement. 

Osamu gasped, as he watched the movement from a near distance. 

Sakusa smiled. Then, he sniffed. There are actual tears in his eyes. 

“Welcome back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AT LAST! A somehow light hearted, happy ending for a chapter. I fell asleep, but surprisingly, I was still able to complete this chapter!
> 
> Also, WHO ELSE IS SO STRESSED OUT AND BROKEN BY THE NEW CHAPTER OF THE BNHA MANGA???? IT CAN'T JUST BE ME!!! I FEEL SO BAD FOR EVERYONE IN THE BNHA UNIVERSE RIGHT NOW. :(


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But yer alive ‘Tsumu,” Osamu said, calming himself down “because yer stubborn.” Osamu sniffed and wiped his tears with his sleeve. “So I’m sure if ya willed it, ya can do it. Ya will do it.”

"Atsumu-san, we'll be removing this tube for you now, okay?" the nurse said with a calm and sweet voice. Atsumu nodded slightly in response.

When the nurses and the doctor arrived, they checked Atsumu's ability to respond to simple commands. Another EEG was done and when they found the results satisfying, they delivered the good news about Atsumu's full recovery to the family. 

Right now, they have already turned the ventilator off and started the process of extubation. 

Atsumu was visibly uncomfortable. He kept on gagging on the tube.

"This might get uncomfortable," the nurse warned. They started doing the procedure, which actually meant more tubes inside Atsumu's mouth and the tube itself. They say it's to suck the saliva build up so Atsumu won't choke. 

It wasn't a pretty sight. At some point, Atsumu started crying. Probably due to the discomfort and pain. 

The nurses asked them to leave the room while they do the procedure but Mrs. Miya asked if she could at least stay. So it was only their mom who was allowed to stay in the room. She held Atsumu's hand throughout the process, and she teared up herself when Atsumu started crying, and said a stream of assurances and comforting words. 

When the process was finally over, Osamu and his dad were allowed to enter the room. Atsumu was still visibly crying, and coughing. The nurses left a smaller and thinner tube to suction the saliva built up, and he still wears an oxygen mask to help him breathe comfortably. 

The nurses briefed them about what to expect, such as Atsumu may feel discomfort and pain in his throat for a while, he may have coughing fits, especially if he tries to speak. He won't be able to speak yet, but after some time, they assured them that he will.

Feeding will still be through a tube unless deemed by the doctors safe to avoid choking on solids.

"You did a good job, 'Tsumu." his mom said, after kissing him on the forehead. Atsumu was still too out of it to respond. 

Atsumu fell back asleep shortly after. His body was still adjusting to the withdrawal of the sedatives he was in for the past 4 days. The good news is he was now out of the ICU and was transferred to a private ward. 

Sakusa went back to the hotel for a while after Atsumu regained consciousness to change clothes. So did Suna and Mr. Miya.

Only their mom and Osamu was left in Atsumu's room. He informed Atsumu's coach about his regaining of consciousness. The coach was very happy, and asked if they could visit him. Osamu said they could but maybe after a day or two since he was still coming in and out of consciousness.

Atsumu woke up again in the afternoon. When he opened his eyes, he saw Osamu sleeping beside him on a chair, his head leaning down on his bed.

He moved his hand to wake his brother up, but the movement alone was enough to alert the twin.

" 'Tsumu!" Osamu exclaimed, shocked to see his brother awake. "How are you? Are you in pain?" Osamu asked in concern. Atsumu just shook his head softly, and stared at his brother. 

Osamu looked like shit, and that's a fact. He looked like he hasn't slept for days because of the dark bags surrounding his eyes, his hair looked like a bird's nest. But it was probably because he just woke up from sleep. 

He motioned his brother to come closer. Osamu obeyed. 

" Ya loo lie shi" he was mustered with a whisper, which was followed by a cough.

Osamu ran to the bedside table to get the bottle of water with a straw and let Atsumu drink. His oxygen mask was replaced by a cannula earlier that day, so he didn't have any difficulty drinking.

"You wake up from a coma an' tha's the first words ya say?" Osamu said while assisting Atsumu in drinking. "Well ya don' look any better, y'know?"

Atsumu's body shook as he laughed softly. Osamu placed the bottle of water away when Atsumu finished drinking

"Do you want me to find mom?" Osamu asked. Mrs. Miya wasn't there when they both woke up. 

Atsumu shook his head. He tried clearing his throat, but met with sharp pain in his throat. But he really wanted to ask a lot of things.

Since he still has no idea why he's in the hospital in the first place.

The door opened and their mom entered with the doctor to the room. 

"Ah, Atsumu-san! You're awake," the doctor greeted. "That's good. How are you feeling?" 

Atsumu just raised his thumbs to the doctor. 

"That's very nice!" the doctor said. 

His mom went to the other side of his bed and leaned in to kiss Atsumu's forehead. 

"Wha…" he tried to speak, his voice coarse. "What... happened?" he asked with much effort.

"You can even speak now," the doctor exclaimed. "That's a really fast progress!"

The doctor wrote something on his clipboard before answering Atsumu. 

"You had a sudden cardiac arrest after your game four days ago." the doctor informed him. So much for being gentle.

"H..ha?" was all Atsumu could muster. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Cardiac arrest? Four days? Nothing made sense.

"You have a heart condition called hyperthropic cardiomyopathy," the doctor started to explain. "This means your heart walls are thicker than most people, which makes it hard for your heart to pump blood." he explained. 

Atsumu's expression changed from shock to guilt, and Osamu did not miss it.

He mentally noted to give Atsumu an earful later for hiding his condition from him.

"This is a very common heart condition and it's genetic. Most people who have this condition show no to mild symptoms only." the doctor said. "That's why they are able to lead a normal life and live long." the doctor paused. "That could be the reason why both you and Osamu were still able to play volleyball as students without trouble."

Atsumu's face went from guilty to confused and shocked. " 'Sa..Samu too?" he asked, gripping his brother's hand tighter.

"It's very common for identical twins to get the same genetic disease." the doctor said. "And after some tests, it turns out to be true."

Atsumu looked at Osamu with a worried look. Osamu only smiled at him. _This bastard's got time to worry about someone else when he's still urinating through a tube._

"However, Osamu's condition is not alarming. To be honest, he could just get on with his normal life without doing anything for his HCM. It's a common case for twins with genetic disease, one gets away with it, while the other doesn't."

"But I won't say that we don't have to take preventive measures." the doctor explained. "As for what happened to you, Atsumu-san, extreme activities and exercises may have aggravated your HCM, leading to faster thickening of the heart walls."

"Your MRI and ECG shows that it's no longer reversible, meaning the thickened heart wall can no longer go back to its previous state." Osamu felt his brother's body tense. His mother leaned closer to Atsumu. 

"But," the doctor said, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Proper medication, regular check ups, and rest," the doctor emphasized on rest, "can help improve your condition." the doctor said with optimism.

However, Atsumu couldn't really think of anything right now but the possibility of--

"Will he still be able to play volleyball?" his mom asked. Atsumu gulped, which was actually painful. 

"We cannot say anything final right now. But I highly suggest that he avoid any extreme and prolonged exercises for at least 2 months. This is the leeway time for most athletes who develop HCM. However, Atsumu-san's HCM was not developed, but inherited. So we will have to observe his condition closely."

A heavy silence filled the room. 

"I will also have to talk with your coach and sports trainer about this for further plans and decisions." the doctor said. He explained more about what Atsumu needs to do and to avoid, and schedules of removing tubes from inside of Atsumu's body before leaving. 

When the doctor left, their mother hugged Atsumu tightly, before excusing herself saying she has to call their dad.

" 'Samu," Atsumu spoke when their mother went out. "What if...I don't...ever get to play again?" he asked shakily.

Osamu's heart broke. Hearing it from Atsumu made it so much heavier than when the doctor said it. 

Volleyball is where their lives revolved as kids. When he chose a different path than becoming a pro player, Atsumu took it hard, ignoring him for almost a week. 

Because that's almost all Atsumu ever knew. It was once almost taken away from him when Osamu decided not to play anymore.

Osamu saw how happy his brother is when playing volleyball. The game four days ago proved that. They may have a bet on who's going to be happier in life, but he knows Atsumu is not just happy when he plays, he's joyful and grateful.

He couldn't imagine the pain Atsumu would have to go through if that would be taken from him.

Osamu hushed his brother, their hands still held together. 

"Don' say that." he said, trying to comfort his brother. "He said ya just need some rest, right?" 

"But he said mine's a different case." Atsumu said anxiously. 

"Yea, so?" Atsumu was take aback by his brother's response.

"Yer Miya Atsumu. Yer a stubborn piece 'a shit tha' does everythin' to get his way." Osamu said with conviction. 

"Even if…" Suddenly, memories of four days ago flashed back to Osamu. His brother collapsing in front of him. Not feeling him breathe, nor hearing any heartbeat from him. Having to do CPR just to keep him from truly dying. 

“Even if it costs yer life, you scrub,” he said failing to stop himself from crying. Atsumu looked at him apologetically. 

“I know ya already know yer sick even before this happened,” he said, glaring at his brother. “And ya didn’t tell me.” he said. “Ya didn’t tell me, yer twin.” he inhaled shakily. 

“There’s a lot ‘a things I could’ve done for ya, but never in a thousand years did I think pumpin’ your heart externally would have to be one of them.” Osamu let himself cry. He felt a lot of things: sadness, guilt, anger, betrayal. 

He wanted to ask Atsumu why he didn’t tell him. How could he do that? He wanted to be angry at him.

He glued his eyes on Atsumu’s hand, unable to raise his head and show his ugly crying face to his brother. 

Atsumu’s hand that’s warm. Atsumu’s hand that was so cold to touch just hours ago, but is now moving on its own. Atsumu’s hand that would’ve been six feet underground if he didn’t do CPR on him. 

“But yer alive ‘Tsumu,” Osamu said, calming himself down “because yer stubborn.” Osamu sniffed and wiped his tears with his sleeve. “So I’m sure if ya willed it, ya can do it. Ya **will** do it.”

Atsumu remained silent. He didn’t know what to say. Apologizing won’t do anything now. Watching Osamu cry his heart out was something he never wanted to see. He couldn’t believe he let his brother go through that. 

“ ‘Samu,” Atsumu said after a moment. “Can ya come for second?” 

“Why?” Osamu sniffed, then stood up to lean near his brother. 

Atsumu pulled Osamu for a tight hug. “Thank ya.” he said. He could feel his own tears welling up. 

Osamu returned the hug and said nothing. He took in the warmth of his alive brother. 

When they broke the hug, Atsumu smiled and said, “Damn. Now, I literally owe ya my life!” 

Osamu laughed. He felt his heart lighten, hearing his brother’s cheerful voice. 

He’s just happy the stronger Miya is back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda decided that this cannot be the last chapter, soooo I think 1 or 2 more? I dunno. Let's just see lol


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I just…” Atsumu hesitated. “I just got scared… y’know. That I may not be allowed to play volleyball if I told anyone else.” he said. “Like if I say it, there will be no turnin’ back and it will truly be real.”
> 
> “And look where you ended up because of that?” 
> 
> Atsumu could no longer deny that his lover is upset.

Later that afternoon, Sakusa, Suna and their dad came to the hospital. They were able to catch Atsumu awake. His dad immediately hugged his son, visibly holding his tears back. He held his son for too long, until Atsumu had to complain. 

Their dad was not very expressive, not affectionate, but when he let Atsumu off the hug, he kissed the top of Atsumu’s head. Atsumu saw Suna when his dad stepped aside. 

“Sunarin! You came.” Atsumu said, feeling touched by the concern of his best friend. 

“If ya think I came here fer ya,” Suna walked towards Osamu and kissed him. Atsumu’s face contorted in annoyance. Then, Suna walked towards him and said, “well then yer right.” then hugged him. Atsumu wore a big smile of satisfaction. 

“Ya got us worried ya know!” Suna said when they broke the hug. “Can’t even have a proper conversation with ‘Samu for the past few days.”

“Y’know he loves me too much.” Atsumu bragged. His parents and Suna laughed at the remark. Osamu just glared at him. 

“Oi,” Sakusa spoke for the first time. “Did you just really wake up? How come you’re already so noisy?” 

Atsumu tensed. He looked shocked. He didn’t see Sakusa when he entered the room earlier. Sakusa walked nearer towards him. Atsumu felt himself relax.

“Way to kill the atmosphere, Omi-omi." Atsumu said mischievously. 

An awkward silence followed. “Right, yer father and I will go to the accounting office to settle things,” his mother said. “ ‘Samu, Rin, could you bring some of the fruits and food we sorted to the cafeteria?” The couple nodded and quickly went to the packed good. 

“We’ll leave ya two alone fer a while,” his mother said. She went in and kissed Atsumu on the forehead before leaving. It was just him and Sakusa in the room now.

Sakusa sat in his usual seat, the chair beside Atsumu’s bed. 

“Watching you earlier, I guess you’re feeling a lot better?” Sakusa said flatly. 

“Yeah,” Atsumu replied cheerfully. “Aside from the fact that I haven’t eaten anythin’ with my mouth and that I still have tubes to urinate fer me, I’m fine.” 

“Since when did ya get here?” Atsumu asked. 

“4 days ago. I stay in the same hotel as your parents and Suna.” Sakusa answered.

“What?” Atsumu said in surprise. “But what about trainin’?”

“You mean you expect me to be able to train while knowing you’re in a coma?” Sakusa answered sarcastically.

Atsumu fell silent. He reached for Sakusa’s hand and held it. He’s probably as shaken by this situation as Osamu. Hell, if he collapsed in the gym like what Osamu told him, Sakusa may have watched him being revived.

“Why didn’t you tell us? Me?” Sakusa asked with a disappointed tone. 

Atsumu debated if he would act like he didn’t know what Sakusa was talking about, or own up to his faults and apologize to his partner. 

He knew the latter is the best choice if he didn't want a break up.

“I’m sorry.” Atsumu blurted out. “Shino-sensei told me it wasn’t life threatenin’. He and the doctor here said the same thin’ about genetics and all. He asked me to talk with my parents and ask about family history, but I didn' wanna bother an' worry them.” he explained. “And I didn’ feel anythin’ funny so I thought the doctor’s just messin’ with me.”

Sakusa did not respond.

“I just…” Atsumu hesitated. “I just got scared… y’know. That I may not be allowed to play volleyball if I told anyone else.” he said. “Like if I say it, there will be no turnin’ back and it will truly be real.”

“And look where you ended up because of that?” 

Atsumu could no longer deny that his lover is upset.

“Atsumu, if you do not become responsible for your own health, no one else will.” Sakusa said, losing his composure. 

Atsumu didn’t say anything. “Do we really have to arrive in this situation for you to understand that?” 

Atsumu was taken aback by this sudden outburst. Suddenly, he felt like he wanted to snap too. Tell Sakusa that he didn’t choose this situation. He didn’t WANT this. 

“You’re only 23, and yet you already had a cardiac arrest,” Sakusa continued. “Mind you, that’s what old geezers get before they actually die. You’re not even in the quarter of your life and you already had a taste of death.” Sakusa was calm, but he was mad.

He was scared. Stressed. Anxious. He had all these emotions built up because that’s how Sakusa is. He never lets his emotions out, especially in public. 

Somehow, Atsumu felt at ease that his boyfriend was lecturing him. Ever since he woke up, he had been babied by his brother and mother, emotionally and physically. Like, he's some sort of fragile thing that would break if they said or moved wrongly. 

Atsumu smiled at Sakusa. 

"And you have the audacity to smile? You think I'm joking around?" Sakusa said irritatingly.

"I love ya, Omi." Atsumu said with a smile. "Maybe I that's why my heart grew larger." he laughed. 

Sakusa was surprised and taken aback by the sudden expression. Atsumu never thought the man could actually blush. 

"I love you too." Sakusa said, glaring at his boyfriend. "But don't you dare think you can get away with this," the younger man said. Atsumu made space on his bed for Sakusa, gesturing him to lay beside him. 

Sakusa stood up and laid down next to his boyfriend. He hugged him tightly, feeling the warmth he's been craving for the past four days. 

"I missed you so much." he whispered. Atsumu just hummed in response. 

He hugged him tighter. "I swear, you're never stepping on a gym again."

Atsumu gasped. "Omi…" he said pleadingly. 

"Not without a doctor's consent." Sakusa added.

Atsumu smiled and kissed his boyfriend.

\----------

At night of that same day, the nurses removed the tubes in Atsumu's body. They had to sedate him for the procedure since it would be a painful process. 

Suna also bid goodbye that day, saying he had to go back to Tokyo.

"Coach's gon' kill me." he told Osamu that night. 

"Did ya not tell 'im where yer at all this time?!" Osamu gasped. 

"Nah, I told 'im. It's just I took more time than I asked fer." he explained. They were at his hotel room. Osamu finally decided to take a time off of hospital duty, now that Atsumu's awake, who even told him:

"Seriously 'Samu, ya gotta take some rest. AND a bath. Ya stink already for Chrissake!"

Osamu would've hit Atsumu on the head if he wasn't wearing a cannula for breathing. 

So now, he and Suna are packing Suna's things. He will be taking the last train going to Tokyo for that night. 

"Tell 'im ya love me and Atsumu so much ya couldn't leave us." Osamu said jokingly.

Suna chuckled, "As if that would lemme off the hook."

"When is Atsumu gettin' out of the hospital?" Suna asked.

"I'm not sure." Osamu answered, busy folding Suna's clothes. "Maybe two or three days from now?" 

"Still a long time huh?" Suna stated. "Will ya be stayin' here until he gets out?"

"Yea," Osamu answered with a sigh. "Can't really leave 'im until I know he's really okay." he said. Atsumu's well being is more of an assurance for him than Atsumu himself.

"Don' worry, Atsumu's a badass. I'm sure he'll be gettin' out of that hospital without any problems." Suna shrugged. 

"That's the last of it." Osamu declared when he finished packing Suna's things. Suna walked towards him. "I'll see ya when I see ya, I guess." he said. 

Osamu pulled the man towards him by his waist. "I'll miss yer ass." he said naughtily. 

"I'll miss yer ugly face too." Suna said, as he leaned in for a kiss. 

They went down to the lobby and checked out. Suna dropped by the hospital that night to say goodbye to the Miya family and Sakusa. 

"Thank ya fer yer company, Rin-kun." Mrs. Miya said, while hugging him. "And fer keepin' 'Samu sane." They both chuckled at that.

He went towards Atsumu, who was asleep because of the sedatives, and said "I'll see ya later." He gave Sakusa a slight nod, then went on his way. He was dropped off to the station Osamu. 

\--------------

The next morning, Hinata and Kageyama visited Atsumu. 

"Atsumu-saaaaan!" Hinata greeted loudly.

"Sho-kun!!" Atsumu greeted back with the same energy. Hinata ran to him and hugged him. 

"It's so nice to see you," Hinata said as they break the hug "awake and alive!" he added. 

"Nice to see you too," Atsumu said, "energetic as ever!" Hinata beamed at him. 

"Tobio-kun! So sweet 'a ya to actually visit me!" Atsumu said with a surprised tone. 

"They've been visitin' since the first day ya were brought here, idiot!" Osamu interjected, who was busy texting on his phone on the sofa.

"Really?" Atsumu was surprised. 

"Yeah," Hinata answered cheerfully. "Since I'm the one nearest to you, I made sure to visit you and update the team about your condition." he continued. 

"They were very excited when they learned that you're awake! They might visit tomorrow." Hinata said with a big smile.

"Aww… yer gonna make me cry." Atsumu said, feeling touched.

"Where's Omi-san?" Hinata asked upon looking around the room. "He's been here since you were first hospitalized as well." 

"Oh, I asked him to go back to the hotel and rest first, since like what ya said, he's been here since day 1." Atsumu answered.

"How are you doing, Atsumu-san?" Kageyama asked, making his presence known again. 

"A lot better!" Atsumu replied cheerfully. "Thanks for asking, Tobio-kun."

He wasn't lying. He was able to pee standing earlier that morning when he woke up. The doctor said he could try eating soft food through his mouth already. He still had to wear the cannula, though, since he still feels short of breath at times. The doctor said it was normal for someone who was just taken off of a ventilator.

"I can even take ya on a match right now if ya want!" He said with a smirk. 

"Oi." Osamu said, looking at him with a deadly stare.

"I'm kiddin'!" Atsumu said defensively. 

"Will you still be able to play volleyball?" Kageyama asked bluntly. Hinata nudged him with his elbow.

Atsumu sighed. "Ya really are a volleyball idot, aren't ya?" he said with a smirk. "Well, I ain't allowed ta play any sports anytime soon." he said. He felt a heavy weight settle on his chest as he said it. 

Kageyama somehow looked defeated. "I'm sorry to hear that." he said.

"Oi, oi, oi!" Atsumu said when he saw Kageyama's reaction, "What's that look fer?!" he said with an irritated tone.

"But you said you will be quitting--" Kageyama tried to explain. 

"Don't ya dare think fer a second that I'm quittin' volleyball!" Atsumu interrupted.

Kageyama's reaction changed to surprised. 

"Honestly, which part of what I said did ya get I'm quittin'?! I'll jus' take some time ta rest, that's it!" he said indignantly. 

"Really?!" Hinata exclaimed. "So you'll still be able to play?!" he asked excitedly. 

"Of course!" he said proudly. "Just ya wait. I'll make sure I'm still a part of the olympics team!"

Kageyama smirked, "I'll be waiting for you then." he said. 

They talked for a long while. Hinata updated Atsumu about what went on to the world while he was asleep for the past few days. At some point, Kageyama asked to be excused to go to the cafeteria. 

"You even trended in social media for 2 days!" Hinata exclaimed, as he updates Atsumu. "Your fans created #GetWellSoonAtsumu and made it trend nationwide." Hinata said with amazement.

"What do ya expect?" Atsumu said airily. "I'm Miya Atsumu! People love me!" 

"I'm not listenin' ta this." Osamu said with a bored tone. He stood up from the sofa and walked towards the door. 

"Yer just sore ya didn't get the same--" he was cut off by the slam of the door. 

Hinata and Atsumu laughed. 

"Did you know that there was actually a video of when you collapsed?" Hinata said mindlessly.

"What?" Atsumu said, as he composes himself from laughing.

"The media showed only bits of what happened, because they never really got a good shot since we huddled around to cover what was happening." Hinata explained. "But a bystander took a video of it from start to finish and uploaded it in the social media. It went viral." he added.

Atsumu knows Hinata means no harm and has no malicious intent in sharing this information, but somehow, he felt very anxious at the thought of seeing himself technically dead while his brother and the emergency responders try to revive him. And that no matter what they do, they will be reminded of it one way or another.

"I don't think I will ever want ta see that." Atsumu said, with a sad tone. 

Hinata fell silent, realizing what he just shared. The atmosphere became heavy and awkward. 

"But I don't think I can run away from it either." Atsumu chuckled. "It's not like I can filter everythin' I see from the internet. So I guess just not now. Maybe someday."

Hinata just nodded and smiled at him warmly. They remained silent for a while, only the beeping of the EKG could be heard in the room. 

"Hey Shoyo-kun," Atsumu said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yes Atsumu-san?" Hinata replied too abruptly. 

"I need ta pee." Atsumu said, "Can ya help me up?"

Hinata stood from the chair next to Atsumu's bed and assisted Atsumu to stand. He helped him walk to the restroom and waited outside for Atsumu to finish. 

"Woohooh!" Atsumu shouted inside the restroom. 

"Are you okay, Atsumu-san?!" Hinata asked with an alarmed tone.

"Yea yea," Atsumu replied. "I'm just celebrating the coming back of my ability to pee while standing." he said cheerfully. 

They both laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried, okay? 
> 
> Anyways, one last chapterrrrr


	7. I Know The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were a lot of things that changed in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank my readers for the love, support, and motivation they gave me. NCBI research journals, AHA journals, and Youtube (for recommending me the video that inspired me to write this lol), Furudate sensei for the characters and story, and other sources/references used to make this fic as realistic as it can be. Haha
> 
> Oh, and Dr. Mike too, since I watched and learned a lot of medical things from his videos. As well as Med K/JDramas. Ahhhhhh!

"Guess who's here?" Mrs. Miya said, standing by the half opened door. They were having breakfast for the next morning, and Atsumu was trying to eat porridge courtesy of his mom. Fortunately, he was able to swallow them, though with very little difficulty. His throat was still a bit painful. 

His mother opened the door widely and--

"Tsumu-tsumu!" Bokuto greeted loudly. "Hey, hey, hey!" he said, raising both of his hand for a high five.

Atsumu beamed at the sight, "Bokkun!" he said, although not as loud as Bokuto. "Hey, hey, hey!" He also raised his hands and met the high five.

Meian, Inunaki, Thomas, Hinata, Sakusa, and Coach Foster entered the room as well.

"Shh.. You're too loud. And you're in a hospital." Sakusa reprimanded. Bokuto and Atsumu just smiled mischievously. 

The others greeted him as well, hugging him and asking him how he was. 

"Man, it's as if nothing happened to you!" Meian pointed out. 

Atsumu no longer had to wear a cannula for breathing, and if not for the hospital gown, IV, and EKG attached to him, he looked exactly the same as he was 7 days ago. 

"Atsumu, it's nice to see you all better now." the coach greeted him last. 

"Ya bet, coach!" Atsumu said cheerfully. 

"Atsumu, where can we put these?" Inunaki held up basket of healthy snacks. "We heard from Hinata that you've already got too much fruits, so we brought you snacks instead." he grinned.

"Cool!" Atsumu said excitedly. "I still can't eat solids for now but at least it's not somethin' easily spoilt." he shrugged. 

"I'll take it." Mrs. Miya said, and took the basket from Inunaki. Inunaki bowed at her.

They chit chatted for a while, Bokuto being the star of the conversation, talking about the most trivial of things. 

"When will you be able to play again, Tsum-Tsumu? We couldn't start training without you!" Bokuto pouted. 

Everyone fell in an awkward silence. They knew Bokuto could be dense and oblivious, and sometimes he could just be stupid. 

Sakusa’s demeanor changed from bored to dark. The others looked like they were caught in the act of something. Atsumu, on the other hand, laughed awkwardly.

“Well, about that…” Atsumu said with an awkward smile. 

The coach cleared his throat, “I guess since it was brought up, now’s the time to discuss this with the team,” he said

“Atsumu won’t be participating in any of the games this season.” Coach Foster dropped the news.

Atsumu knew this was coming, but the utter sound of “not participating” made him want to cry. _Where is Osamu when you need him?_

“Eh?” Bokuto asked in confusion. “But why?” 

“Because he needs to recover, dumbass.” Sakusa answered. “Whatever happened to him wasn’t just a joke or prank. He, no, WE need to take it seriously.”

Bokuto just nodded and stopped himself from speaking again. He looked like a dog who was reprimanded by his master. 

“Yes. Exactly.” Coach Foster spoke. “I already talked with his doctor here, and Shino-sensei as well. We talked about encompassing regimes that will focus on your recovery”. He added. 

“But, to make that happen, you have to cooperate.” the coach emphasized. “You will have to follow EVERYTHING we tell you. Even if it’s against your ideals.” 

“The goal is to keep you from playing this season, so you can play for the next.” The coach smiled at him. 

“Ya don’ hafta worry about that coach,” Mrs. Miya interjected. “We’ll make sure he does. If not us, ‘Samu will.” she chuckled. The room lightened up a bit.

Atsumu smiled boastfully, “Of course, I will!” he said. 

“I wish you did the same 3 months ago.” Sakusa rebutted sarcastically. Atsumu smiled sheepishly at him.

“Hey, Ma--Oh,” Osamu entered the room. He was coming back from the hotel to fetch some things for their parents. 

The team members all turned to greet him, to which he returned awkwardly.

“Oh,” the coach said with a start, “I remember they also mentioned an internal cardioverter defibrillator,”he said, sounding unsure. 

“Internal cardiowhat??” Hinata asked in confusion; the others looked interested. 

“If I remember it correctly, it’s a device connected to the heart, so if anything dangerous happens, like what happened a week ago, it could be reversed right at that moment by giving you an electric shock.” the coach explained. 

Atsumu looked confused, then excited, then confused again. 

“Wait, so I’ll be electrocuted?? Wouldn’t that hurt? And there’s gon’ be a device INSIDE my heart? ” he asked. 

“Hmm.. kinda, it will feel like you got electrocuted.” Coach Foster answered. “They say it feels like some little creature jumped on your chest.”, the coach added. “I did some research about it, you see.” he grinned. “As for it being IN your heart, it’s not like that. You will have a WIRE in your heart that will be connected to the device on a pocket inside your muscle on your chest.” he clarified. 

“Wait, he has a pocket inside his chest?!” Bokuto asked with an amazed tone. “Cool!”

“No,” the coach said with a palm on his face, “he doesn’t have a pocket in his chest, Bokuto. The surgeon will make that pocket for him.”

“Oh,” was all Bokuto said.

“Wait,” Osamu interrupted, “Am I hearin’ it correctly or will ‘Tsumu have a surgery?”

“It was just a suggestion.” the coach clarified, “because although there are benefits, there can also be grave disadvantages. They say this was only suggested for those who have severe heart conditions.”

“But, the doctors say it’s the safest thing to do if you want to continue sports. To avoid what happened a week ago from happening again.” he added.

Atsumu looked torn. He gazed around the room and settled it on his mom, who was looking somehow serene. Then he looked at his brother, who looked confused.

“You know what? I think it’s best if you have a conversation with Shino-sensei and Doctor Murakami here, along with your family.” the coach suggested. “It’s a big decision anyway.”

Atsumu nodded. “We’ll do that, coach.” Mrs. Miya said. Osamu agreed.

The team lingered for a while before leaving for Tokyo that same day. 

“We’ll see you in a few weeks, yeah?” Bokuto said, as he bid farewell. 

“Make that a few days!” Atsumu grinned.

The team went out of the room, bidding those who will be staying goodbye. Sakusa said he’ll stay until Atsumu gets discharged.

A few hours later, the doctor checked on Atsumu. Mrs. Miya brought up the topic of internal cardioverter defibrillator.

“Ah, I was actually about to suggest that to you, but I guess Coach Foster beat me to it.” he chuckled. 

“Most patients with HCM who experienced cardiac arrest often get ICD,” the doctor started to explain. “Sometimes they get it because of persistent irregular heart rhythms, some because they want to be precautious.” 

“But almost all patients with HCM who suffered a cardiac arrest were advised, if not required, to get an ICD. This is to avoid any possibility of getting another cardiac arrest.” explained the doctor. 

“So you mean,” Sakusa interjected, “Atsumu has no choice?”

“Well, if you ask me, I would highly encourage you to get one.” the doctor said as a matter of factly.

“What are the risks if he gets it?” Mrs. Miya asked worriedly.

“Well, there are a lot of benefits from getting it, and I can say the same for risks.” The doctor then explained how the device works, the advantages and possible risks of it. 

“We will keep a close observation on how your body adjusts to it, if you decide to get it. If all goes well, you can even start training in no time.” the doctor said with an optimistic tone.

Atsumu’s parents looked worried, Osamu was in deep thought, and Sakusa was just discreetly holding Atsumu’s hand tightly.

While Atsumu just sat there, wearing a big smile.

“I’ll do it!” he said cheerfully.

__________________________

**2 years later (2020)**

“Atsumu!” Iwaizumi called, “Bench, now!” he commanded.

“Aw, Iwa-san...” Atsumu groaned loudly, “the game was just gettin’ to the fun part!” he complained. 

“Come here, or I’ll ask Sakusa for help?” Iwaizumi threatened. Atsumu’s face fell, and started to stomp his way towards the bench.

“Sit down and rest!” Iwaizumi commanded.

The Japan Men’s National Volleyball Team had started training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Men’s Volleyball in the late half of the year, and Iwaizumi Hajime was introduced as the athletic trainer of the team. 

“Team, quick break!” Coach Hibarida announced. 

A week after Atsumu’s discharge, he had a surgery for the implantation of the ICD. After that, he went to rehabilitation, rest, then soft training to see the effect of the ICD while he’s playing. Although the results were good, the team doctor and Coach Foster agreed that he cannot play a whole set, so MSBY got themselves another setter to fill in for Atsumu when he gets pulled out. 

It took Atsumu 8 months to be able to play in an actual match again. There were a lot of things that changed in his life. When he got out of surgery, the doctor recommended that he get rehab in Tokyo. So Atsumu and Osamu decided to relocate and rent an apartment in Tokyo, since Osamu is also working on opening a Tokyo branch for Onigiri Miya. 

Atsumu also had to wear a watch that monitors his heart rate; Osamu wouldn’t shut up about him getting one. He also has a maintenance medicine, like Osamu.

After a year, Sakusa asked Atsumu to move in with him, to which Atsumu agreed to, without second guessing. When he moved out, Suna lived with Osamu. 

Sometimes, during the heat of a game, he would feel dizzy. At these times, he would look at Sakusa and his partner will get the message. Sakusa, then, will ask the coach to ask for a time out. 

In worse cases, he faints, then the ICD will shock him, waking him back up. This happened once, in the middle of a training game. Sakusa almost cried. He was not allowed to go to training for 2 weeks after that. 

Due to his resilient mind and heart, as well as his strong support system, Atsumu was able to get on with his life and career without feeling helpless. In the beginning, he would often cry to Osamu, confessing how weak he felt having to do soft trainings. He wasn’t used to it. He even asked his twin, what if he just gave up volleyball and help Kita in the rice farm, to which Osamu would reply with, 

“Ya’ll just be a fertilizer there.”

Osamu helped him get past this difficult phase. He kept on telling him, look at what awaits after, and that would give Atsumu the motivation to show up for the next training day. 

Sakusa was very supportive as well. He would make sure to come by his and Osamu’s apartment everyday, and if he’s free, he would even go to Atsumu’s check ups and training. Whenever Atsumu brings up the topic of the MSBY training, Sakusa would tell him the littlest of information, saying if he went into detail, he’ll just feel bad for not being there. 

2 months before his comeback, he was allowed to train with the MSBY team. That’s when he fainted and collapsed, after 1 week of training. The doctor told him it was because of the sudden change in training, even though they gradually changed it when he was still under observation. And also because he got too excited. 

Now, he’s able to make it in the Japan Men’s National Volleyball team, despite everything that’s happened. And they have Kageyama in the team too, making it possible for him to rest in between sets. 

There are a lot of things this lifetime could give, and the most common are surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can ya believe I actually finished it??? WAAAAAHHH
> 
> BTW, FYI about the medical terms, in case you forgot, HCM stands for Hyperthropic Cardiomyopathy, and ICD stands for Internal Cardioverter-Defibrillator. I didn't explain the pros and cons of this in the fic since it's too long, but basically, it kinda gets lethal when it shocks wrongly haha
> 
> Anyways, thank you all so much for the kind comments and kudos. It meant so much to me, and kept me pushing myself to finish this fic. huhu Thank you thank you thank you.
> 
> I wish I could reply to y'all's comments, but I'll be busy with work and will probably be too preoccupied. 
> 
> But I swear, I read (and waited for, tbh) all of your comments. Thank you so much for the support.
> 
> And thank you for existing! :)
> 
> Keep safe!

**Author's Note:**

> This is the result of AO3 fic>>>>>>>>> work lol. 
> 
> Leave a kudos or a comment, will ya? >.^ v


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